Danner3, Laing, MCP-600, Eheim 1250 or Laing pump?

[mycotopian]

Hey guys I am switching from air to water because my current temps for the system in my sig are 32c ambient/52c cpu and I want to quiet it down a bit. I have read a ton of posts regarding pumps but now I have narrowed it down to the Danner3, Laing, MCP-600, Eheim 1250 or Laing pump.

I would prefer a 12v pump so I dont have to worry about relays etc. But if the extra performance is worth the hassle I'll do it. All I will be running in my system is a WW block, a chevette HC and maybe a NB block later all through 1/2 ID Tygon. I am also contemplating putting the radiator and fans outside a window near my case that would require about 5 more feet of tubing. This is just an idea I had and like many modding ideas may never come to fruition. Based in that which pump would you guys suggest? Thanks for the help

[Nick Burns]

If you are going to have that much tubing then I would say the MCP-600. It is far better than all of the listed, but I don't know a thing about the Laing. The MCP-600 is a 12v pump so no inverter needed, it is also small. Its only downside(as I read from a review) is that it is louder than most pumps. By how much I don't know. The review said it can be silenced by foam. I am not sure if it meant that there was vibration or what.

[Soja]

Mag3 for the price/performance. A couple resolvable issues but its a lot cheaper than all those pumps with the same if not better performance. As for relays, a cheap solution is plugging in your pc and pump into the same power strip if you have one. That way the pump will always be going if your pc is on.

[ninety6]

Another vote for the Mag3 as long as you do some research about it and do the proper preparatoins/installation.

96

[Cathar]

In summary:

Laing D4
Pros: Excellent pressure/flow characteristics across a wide range of scenarios. 12V convenience. Can be over-volted for better performance.
Caveats: Moderate amount of heat added to the water - requires at least a BIX radiator or better to get the most out of it
Cons: Really is pretty noisy. Somewhat pricey.

Danner Mag 3
Pros: Quiet*, very good pressure and flow performance across a wide range of scenarios, cheap.
Caveats: Moderate (plus) amount of heat added to the water - requires at least a DTek Pro radiator or better to get the most out of it. Requires routing of AC cable.
Cons: Fragile

Swiftech MCP600
Pros: Quiet*, 12V convenience, moderate to strong performer, good for multiple block restrictive setups where it will come close to matching the Laing D4 or the Mag 3, low amount of heat added to the water
Caveats: None really
Cons: Somewhat pricey

Eheim 1250
Pros: Very quiet*. Will serve okay for pushing through most multiple block setups. Extremely reliable with spare parts available everywhere should anything go wrong. Good solid performer.
Caveats: Low to moderate amount of heat added to the water - requires at least a BIX radiator or better to get the most out of it. Requires routing of AC cable. Moderately priced.
Cons: None really.

* All pumps will make a fair amount of noise if they are allowed to vibrate against something. So long as precautions are taken (padding) to stop the vibrations from transmitting, then the pump's regular noise level applies.

[CGR]

My Mag3 has worked great, no problems (finds some wood to knock on) just as long as you do a couple preemtive things so you dont get leaks or crack the housing.

usually people who WC leave their machines running 24/7 and dont need to have any relays.

I rarely need to reboot unless I freeze an ap or an update/applications requires it. Plus its better for the pump IMO to leave it running and not keep turning it on and off.

[mycotopian]

Thanks guys I think I am going to go with the MCP-600 rev 2. I dont mind shelling out a few extra bucks for a little better quality, performance and convenience.

Now I just need to know who I should place my order with. Any suggestions??

[govern1]

The MCP600 rev 2 is a great pump, I absolutely love mine. Whatever review said it was noisy must have been listening to something other than the pump, because it's quieter than the Mag3 that I used before.
I got mine at crazypc.com out of Michigan. Great customer service and lowest price on the rev 2 that I could find.

Shawn

[LTi]

i just got my mcp 600 yesterday to replace my hydor l30, the noise issue got out of hand, i even took it out of the case and put stuff under it and it kept makin noise

from teh begining i can see that the mcp looks like it is built better, i will get to install it this weekend when i get the time, but i keep hearing its quite, it also comes with foam on the bottom wich i liked :)

btw i got mine from crazy pc aswell, it came in styrofoam casing, no box no anything, the manual came in zip lock bag, is that normal? im just wondering

[govern1]

That's how mine came as well. No issues with it, so I wouldn't worry. Enjoy it.

Shawn

[boondox]

I used the rev2 mcp600 and i find it very quiet and strong, it performs much quieter and cooler than my mcp300. I have had it about 2 months now. my cpu/motherboard run at room tempurature idle/load. I was very surprised at how quiet the pump was after reading reviews saying how loud it is.

[Rokk1972]

Lets see, I have the danner mag 3, ehiem 1048 & 1250, hydor L30, MCP600 and the Lang d4 pumps. I don't think I will ever be using another AC pump, I am sold on the DC pumps!! The MCP600 & the lang D4 are both very good pumps. I have the MCP600 running on my A64 rig with an RBX & maze 4 gpu with excellent results, and the lang D4 is powering the cooling on my xp1700 (running @ 2.6Ghz) with a RBX, z-chip and maze 4 gpu (with ease) And I am using the #4 nozzle on the RBX, the lang D4 still pushes more water thru my loop than any AC pump I used. As for noise, if I run with my case doors off, I can hear a higher pitch noise (barely, only if I concentrate) over my 80mm case/psu fans. but if I put both doors back on (the way most people run their rigs) I cannot hear it over the fans. The same is true for the MCP600.

[Cathar]

Originally posted by Rokk1972
As for noise, if I run with my case doors off, I can hear a higher pitch noise (barely, only if I concentrate) over my 80mm case/psu fans. but if I put both doors back on (the way most people run their rigs) I cannot hear it over the fans. The same is true for the MCP600.

It would take someone with a serious case of tinnitus to not clearly hear the square-wave sounding whine of the D4 over a PSU/case fan, even with the case closed. The Davies-Craig EBP 12v pump has a noise level similar to that which you describe, but the D4 is easily twice as loud as the EBP, and easily noticable even when inside a case. The MCP600 is quieter than an EBP. Laing themselves put the D4 at 46dBA at 1m distance when run at 12v.

[Bailey]

Its only downside(as I read from a review) is that it is louder than most pumps.
I'll chime in & go with the others - whoever wrote the review must have dog ears. I can't even tell if the MCP600 is running w/ my ear 3" away. The ONLY way I can tell the pump is working is to put my hand on it & feel the vibration (minor).

As Cathar says it IS pricey, but you get what you pay for (same goes for the Mag line of pumps - they're cheap for a reason).

[govern1]

Bailey, I agree. I can only tell by the water swirling through the Bayres when it's running, which is how I knew that something had gone horribly wrong with the Mag3 I had installed previously!

Shawn

[CGR]

Cheap, doesnt always imply bad... I have found my mag3 to perform quite well. As for noise, I would have to put my ear next to my case in order to hear it. I highly doubt anyone has their machines so close to their head that they can hear the mag3.

As for knowing if water is flowing, well anyone who runs MBM and Im certain a majority of OCers do, then you would know by your temp rise if there was a problem. Hell most of the people on these forums have automatic shutdown programs or hardware.

You do get what you pay for, however that applies to overly priced marked up items as well when a cheaper item does the same or possibly even better job.

Wasting money because a person can doesnt make them any better then the people who look for a cheaper reliable solution

:p

[Bailey]

You do get what you pay for, however that applies to overly priced marked up items as well when a cheaper item does the same or possibly even better job.

I couldn't agree more, I may be the king of "finding the lowest cost item to do the job" (that's what my wife says anyway - lol).

BUT....

I've used Mag pumps over the years & they aren't very good. IMHO they're about 1/2 a step above Rio (they fail, they just don't spew stuff when they do). They are cheaply made, don't last long, and require too much attention. The housing is cheap, they leak, and the moving parts fail.

I'm not alone in this opinion either, check any aquarium site & you'll find a "it'll work until you can afford a real pump" attitude.

Though the initial cost is low they do not represent a good value to me.

[Cathar]

Originally posted by CGR
You do get what you pay for, however that applies to overly priced marked up items as well when a cheaper item does the same or possibly even better job.

Wasting money because a person can doesnt make them any better then the people who look for a cheaper reliable solution

:p

No one's saying "Run out and buy the most over-priced, over-marked-up POS that you can find!"

There's plenty of stuff that you can buy which is priced excessively, but is no better, or even much worse, than a more moderately priced item.

The difference comes from understanding what makes a particular item a "quality" item, and understanding why it's worth paying a little extra, or even twice or three times as much, for that quality.

Cheaper pumps are often made with cheaper grade plastics that are prone to cracking, or offer very poor chemical resistance, or will age and go brittle fairly quickly. They will use cheaper lower-grade windings on the motors that will break-down and short. They will use cheap glue to hold the magnets in place that will break-down if the pump gets too hot resulting in motor failure. They will use molded rather than precisely machined bearings and other critical load bearing components, resulting in poor tolerances that may quite quickly lead to bearing failure, or excessive rotor "slop". They will use cheaper bearing components that will wear down quickly, rather than the more expensive but far longer lasting ceramic bearings.

Now buying a cheap pump that takes every cost short-cut in the book may still net you a pump that will last for years, but it's a game of chance. Buying quality significantly shortens the odds, and quality pumps will typically come with life-time guarantees on certain elements of the pump, and limited warranty guarantees on other parts which may need to be replaced.

Only a stupid person would run out and buy a $3000 Rolex digital watch on the basis that because it costs more then it's better. No one's saying do that.

Take the time to understand where the quality is in an item, and then take the time to appreciate why it costs a little more. If you see something that seems expensive then it will be for one of two reasons. One, it's quality and quality costs more, or two, it's and over-priced piece of crap and the retailer/company is trying to rip you off.

Only a stupid person doesn't take the time to distinguish between the two.

Only persons who are kidding themselves truly believe that a cheaply made budget pump has all the accoutrements of a quality made pump.

Buying cheap is like rolling the dice in a game of chance where you crap out on a 12 or a 2, but you need to re-reroll every month. Buying quality is like rolling the same dice every month, but you roll the dice 3 times and only crap out if you roll three 12's in a row.

Doesn't take long to figure out that buying cheap can quickly become a false economy just as long as you don't buy an expensive POS.